"Churchill Downs. A poll conducted by Churchill Downs prior to the changes showed 83% of respondents did not understand how horses became starters for the Kentucky Derby. The previous system was based on earnings from all graded stakes races, which essentially gave equal weight to earnings from juvenile races, sprints and even races on the turf as to the traditional Derby prep races. The new system completely disregards sprint races, and places heavy weight on later races, thus putting a premium on recent results. The points system has changed the way horses are prepared for the Derby, the composition of"
"Kentucky Downs Kentucky Downs is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, in the city of Franklin, Kentucky, just off Interstate 65. It is unique among American tracks in that it is a European-style course—its surface is all turf (grass) instead of dirt, and it is not oval in shape. In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top Ten, Kentucky Downs was ranked #2. The track was built in 1990 as Dueling Grounds Race Course. The name came from the"
"Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for annually hosting the Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned Breeders' Cup on nine occasions, most recently on November 2 and 3, 2018. Churchill Downs Incorporated owns and operates the racetrack. With the infield open for the Kentucky Derby, the capacity of Churchill Downs is roughly 170,000. In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a"
"constructed. At the same time, 750 speakers were installed around the track. Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for annually hosting the Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned Breeders' Cup on nine occasions, most recently on November 2 and 3, 2018. Churchill Downs Incorporated owns and operates the racetrack. With the infield open for the Kentucky Derby, the capacity of Churchill Downs is"
"– 2:04.20.<br> Splits for each quarter-mile: (22.24) (23.53) (25.24) (26.34) (26.85) Source: Equibase chart The table below gives Kentucky Derby payout schedule 2018 Kentucky Derby The 2018 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 2018 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses, with a purse of million. The Derby is held annually in Louisville on the first Saturday in May, at the end of the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. It is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old"
"course turns right. It then gradually turns left into the homestretch. Kentucky Downs is one of two tracks in North America to feature a right turn - the other location is the downhill turf course at Santa Anita Park. Kentucky Downs Kentucky Downs is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, in the city of Franklin, Kentucky, just off Interstate 65. It is unique among American tracks in that it is a European-style course—its surface is all turf (grass) instead of dirt, and it is not oval in shape. In 2009, the Horseplayers Association"
"Kentucky Derby Festival. Thunder Over Louisville—an airshow and fireworks display—generally begins the festivities in earnest two weeks prior to the Derby. Speed record: Margin of Victory: Most wins by a jockey: Most wins by a trainer: Most wins by an owner: Longest shot to win the Derby: Miscellaneous: designates a Triple Crown Winner.<br> designates a filly. Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby , is a horse race that is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a"
"Decidedly, the winner of the 1962 Kentucky Derby, won this race in 1963, and Pistols and Roses in 1994. Ben Ali Stakes The Ben Ali Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run in the Spring of each year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. For 4-year-olds and up, it is a Grade III event set at a distance of one mile and one eighth mile on the dirt. In its 87th running in 2017, it currently offers a purse of $200,000. According to the official history at Keeneland racetrack, the Ben Ali (pronounced ""Ah-Lie"") is named for"
"(Arkansas Derby), Noble Indy (Louisiana Derby), Vino Rosso (Wood Memorial), My Boy Jack (Lexington Stakes), Free Drop Billy (Breeders' Futurity), Firenze Fire (Champagne Stakes) and Bolt d'Oro. The 2018 Kentucky Derby was held on May 5 on a rainy day at Churchill Downs. Although the surface had been sealed earlier in the day to minimize the effect of the rain on the footing, the track was still labeled as sloppy. Justify broke well and used his early speed to establish good position near the rail going into the first turn, running a length behind Promises Fulfilled in a fast opening"
"of $100,000. Cardinal Handicap The Cardinal Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during its fall meet. The Grade III Cardinal is open to fillies and mares three-years-old and up and set at a distance of one and one eighth mile on the turf. At its current distance of nine furlongs, Miss Caerleona holds the record of 1:47.81. The 2017 edition of the race, won by Tricky Escape, was run on dirt as the turf course was deemed unfit for racing. The race's Gr.III status was kept for 2017. It currently offers"
"Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes The Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the last week of November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. A Grade II event, the race is open to two-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, and is a Road to the Kentucky Derby race, offering points to the top four horses towards being one of the 18 horses eligible for the race by points in North American races (there are spots available to European and Asian horses which participate in races in their respective continents, but"
"The Red Mile The Red Mile is a horse racing track located in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. The track hosts harness racing, a type of horse racing in which the horses must pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies while racing. It is one of harness racing's most famous tracks and is located in the heart of the Bluegrass region, an area of Kentucky famous for horse breeding and racing. In 2014, The Red Mile announced it was partnering with Keeneland to build a $30 million historical racing facility, with 1,000 terminals, scheduled to open September 2015. In May 2015, Keeneland also"
"as president and general manager of the historic track from 1902 to 1949. Known by the media as ""Mr. Derby,"" Winn is credited with building the Kentucky Derby into America's greatest race and one of the world's great sports events. Speed Record: (at current distance of miles) Matt Winn Stakes The Matt Winn Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid May or early June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, it is contested on dirt and began at a distance of six furlongs. The event currently offers a purse of $100,000 added."
"Ellis Park Race Course Ellis Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Henderson, Kentucky, just south of Evansville, Indiana. It is owned and operated by Saratoga Casino & Hospitality Group. While the track is located north of the Ohio River that forms the border between Kentucky and Indiana, which would put it within Indiana, the border is based on the course of the river at the time Kentucky became a state in 1792. Ellis Park was built by the Green River Jockey Club in 1922. It initially held a harness meeting on the Grand Circuit for the total of $32,000 in"
"races. * indicates active races. Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), and Winter/Spring (January to late March/early April)—and offers year-round simulcast wagering from tracks across the continent. In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for (currently) 62 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. In 2016, Turfway was ranked #11. Turfway Park opened in Florence, Kentucky, in 1959 as Latonia"
"the track reopened in 1998 the race was renamed the Kentucky Cup Turf Handicap as part of the Kentucky Cup Turf Festival * † In 2003, Art Variety finished first but was disqualified for interference and set back to third. Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes The Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky. A Grade III turf race open to horses age three and older, it is contested at a distance of miles (12 furlongs) on a European-style turf course laid out in a kidney shape. The Kentucky Cup"
"Hawthorne Race Course Hawthorne Race Course is a racetrack for horse racing in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, near Chicago. The oldest continually run family-owned racetrack in North America, in 2009 the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top ten, Hawthorne was ranked No. 8. In 1890, Edward Corrigan, a Chicago businessman who owned the 1890 Kentucky Derby winner, Riley (by Longfellow), bought of land in Cicero and started constructing a grandstand for a new racecourse. His track opened in 1891 with a five-race card including the featured Chicago Derby. In"
"Churchill Downs in 1943 and 1944. There was no race run in 1945. Two horses set new Keeneland course records in winning this race: Mals Boy in 1950 and Loom in 1964. Speed record: (at current distance of 7 furlongs) Lafayette Stakes The Lafayette Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, it is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of seven furlongs. A Listed race from 1983 through 1989, it was elevated to a Grade III event in 1990 then modified to a non-graded status"
"A Gleam (1952), and Royal Heroine (1983). In 2014, California Chrome accomplished a rare feat when, having won the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes on dirt earlier in the year, he won the Hollywood Derby in his first appearance on the turf. The Hollywood Derby has been contested at various distances on both dirt and turf: Speed record: Most wins by a jockey: Most wins by a trainer: Hollywood Derby The Hollywood Derby is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November/early December. Now held at Del Mar racetrack in San Diego, California,"
"Louisiana Derby The Louisiana Derby is an Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Run in late March, the race is open to horses, age three, willing to race miles (9 furlongs) on the dirt. It currently offers a purse of $1,000,000. The Louisiana Derby is one of the major prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The first race at the ""Louisiana Race Course,"" now the Fair Grounds Race Course took place on March 20, 1839, proprietors Bernard de Marigny, Julius C. Branch, and Henry Augustine"
"Horses and inspired their name. With the exception of the longer, distance contests, Quarter Horse races are run flat out, with the horses running at top speed for the duration. There is less jockeying for position, as turns are rare, and many races end with several contestants grouped together at the wire. The track surface is similar to that of Thoroughbred racing and usually consists of dirt. The traditional high point of US horse racing is the Kentucky Derby, held on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Together, the Derby; the Preakness Stakes, held two"
"Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes The Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky. A Grade III turf race open to horses age three and older, it is contested at a distance of miles (12 furlongs) on a European-style turf course laid out in a kidney shape. The Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes is run in mid September as the feature event on the racecourse's opening day. It was first run in 1991 as the Sam Houston Handicap but was on hiatus after the track closed due to financial difficulties. When"
"Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), and Winter/Spring (January to late March/early April)—and offers year-round simulcast wagering from tracks across the continent. In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for (currently) 62 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. In 2016, Turfway was ranked #11. Turfway Park opened in Florence, Kentucky, in 1959 as Latonia Race Course. The track is"
"Cardinal Handicap The Cardinal Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky during its fall meet. The Grade III Cardinal is open to fillies and mares three-years-old and up and set at a distance of one and one eighth mile on the turf. At its current distance of nine furlongs, Miss Caerleona holds the record of 1:47.81. The 2017 edition of the race, won by Tricky Escape, was run on dirt as the turf course was deemed unfit for racing. The race's Gr.III status was kept for 2017. It currently offers a purse"
"2018 Road to the Kentucky Derby The 2018 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 5. The field for the Derby was limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There were three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of 34 races in North America plus one in Dubai, the Japan Road consisting of three races in Japan, and a new European Road"
"track was renamed Commonwealth Race Course after being sold in 1974 and ran American Quarter Horse meets for two years before burning in 1978 and closing permanently. Miles Park Miles Park was an American horse racing track located in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. The track served as the ""minor leagues"" for many jockeys who later went on to the larger, more famous Kentucky tracks. The biggest event was the annual Junior Derby. Miles Park started life as Fairgrounds Speedway, a harness racing track in 1956, but was converted to thoroughbred racing and renamed Miles Park two years later, after being"
"El Camino Real Derby The El Camino Real Derby is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race held in February at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on Tapeta. Northern California's premier Kentucky Derby prep, the El Camino Real Derby was first run in 1982. It was hosted by Bay Meadows racetrack until its closing in August 2008. The event was degraded in 2018. Stakes record: Most wins by a jockey: Most wins by a trainer: Most wins by an owner: † filly Paths to $5,500,000"
"to take a sharp left turn onto the false-flat finishing straight, to the finish. The length of the course is and has a total elevation of . The course begins north of Richmond at Kings Dominion, Virginia's premier amusement park in Hanover County. It will go to Meadow Event Park, home to the State Fair of Virginia and birthplace of thoroughbred racing legend Secretariat. Racers will head south on long, open straights past the Hanover County Courthouse, the third oldest courthouse still in use in the U.S. and dating back to about 1740. Long hills on Brook and Wilkinson roads"
"ranking number 44 in the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century. Ack Ack Handicap (Churchill Downs) The Ack Ack Handicap is a Grade III race for Thoroughbred horses run annually during the first week of November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Open to horses aged three and up, it is contested at a distance of 8 furlongs (one mile) on the dirt. Since inception in 1991, the Ack Ack Handicap has been contested at three different distances: The race is named for the great Ack Ack, inducted into the National Museum of"
"Road by winning the UAE Derby. Points offered: 2018 Road to the Kentucky Derby The 2018 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 5. The field for the Derby was limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There were three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of 34 races in North America plus one in Dubai, the Japan Road consisting of three"
"run in 2018 in anticipation of the 2019 reopening of Colonial Downs. Fastest time: Most wins by an owner: Most wins by a jockey: Most wins by a Trainer: Commonwealth Derby The ""Virginia Derby"" is an American Thoroughbred horse race returning to Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia. The race was previously known as the Commonwealth Derby when it was held at Laurel Park race track in Laurel, Maryland. A Grade II event, it is raced on turf at a distance of 9 Furlongs ( miles) and is open to three-year-old horses. From 1998 to 2013, the race was"
"if they decline, those spots go to the next highest in points from the North American events). Inaugurated in 1920, the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes was contested at a distance of one mile from its inception through 1979. The race was transferred to the Latonia Race Track in Covington, Kentucky in 1931 but returned to Churchill Downs in 1934. There was no race run between 1939 and 1945 because of World War II. Five horses have won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and then returned the next spring to win the Kentucky Derby. The most recent Derby winner was Super"
"Commonwealth Derby The ""Virginia Derby"" is an American Thoroughbred horse race returning to Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia. The race was previously known as the Commonwealth Derby when it was held at Laurel Park race track in Laurel, Maryland. A Grade II event, it is raced on turf at a distance of 9 Furlongs ( miles) and is open to three-year-old horses. From 1998 to 2013, the race was run at a distance of miles. No race was held in 2014. Since 2015, the distance has been miles. The Virginia Racing Commission announced the race will not be"